When I have the engine on and the car is stationary (in neutral), I can move my steering wheel slightly to the left and right (1-2inches each direction), and I get a faint whine. I thought I was hearing things so I had Kane verify the noise.

Anyone had this problem in the past? Car drives like normal, but I am trying to be proactive with any repairs or replacement that might be required.

Comments please.

 

Sounds more like a characteristic than a problem

(since you were asking for comments)

 

So you think I have nothing to worry about?

 

I think it's fine. If it breaks, replace it at that point. It's not undrivable if the EPS screws up, it's just a pain in the ass.

Chris

 

Just thought it would be easier to get at it now with everything apart.

 

Are you sure its not the throwout bearing? Duplicate the conditon (slightly turned wheel) and then step on the clutch to see if the noise goes away. If it does, that would be normal as well.

 

I did this experiment today. I heard no whine but then, I have a test pipe and cat back so it was hard to hear anything below that level of noise. What i did discover was that when I turned the steering wheel even slightly in either direction, the rpm fluctuated up a bit. It was probably just compensating for the added load of having to run the power steering boost.
I would say that if your EPS is working smoothly through out the full range of the steering from lock to lock, then it should be fine. If it were on it's way out, it would most likely show signs of "dead spots".

 

Could be the serpentine belt? When you turn the steering wheel 1-2" in either direction, the electrical load caused by the EPS causes the altenator to engage which could cause the serpentine belt to make a little bit of noise if it were loose or old or both.